Why was Augustus (Octavian) considered the greatest Roman Emperor of all time?
Augustus, no doubt, was one of the greatest emperors. The greatest? Possibly… but it’s debatable. But to really understand why Augustus is held in such high regard you have to understand the context within which he lived: Shortly before Augustus the Roman government (a “republic” that was basically ruled by rich men) was going through a serious crisis: corruption which lead to serious civil disorder. This corruption was rooted in their ever expanding territory which concentrated more and more wealth and raised the bar of risks and rewards for those that played the very dangerous game of Roman politics. Several powerful and ambitious politicians of this age (the Grachi brothers, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Crassus, Ceasar, etc.) competed with each other in less than legitimate ways to control the power of Rome. Sulla was able to conquer Rome and declare himself dictator. Marius did the same. Pompey, Crassus and Ceasar formed the not so secret First Triumvirate (which was basically a politi
